adj.
(intenser, intensest)
- of extreme force, degree, or strength:
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intense concentration.
- extremely earnest or serious:
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an intense young woman.
Derivative
- intensely adv.
- intenseness n.
Usage
Intense and intensive are similar in meaning, but they differ in emphasis. Intense tends to relate to subjective or emotional responses while intensive tends to relate to objective descriptions. Thus, an intensive course simply describes a course that is designed to cover a great deal in a short time. On the other hand, in the course was intense, intense describes how someone felt about the course.
Etymology
ME: from OFr., or from L. intensus ‘stretched tightly, strained’, past part. of intendere (see intend).
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